


Frost Fair Drabbles

by julie_slamdrews



Category: Harlots (TV)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:53:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28201179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julie_slamdrews/pseuds/julie_slamdrews
Summary: A series of drabbles set pre-canon, during one of the London Frost Fairs, when the Thames froze over and people flocked to the ice for drinking, dancing, gambling and general merriment.Written for the Harlots Drabble Days 'frost' prompt.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 4
Collections: Harlots Drabbles





	Frost Fair Drabbles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SelkieWife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelkieWife/gifts).



> Back in November, something reminded me that the Thames used to freeze in the winter. Of course, being deeply immersed in the Harlots fandom by this point, my next thought was ‘I wonder if that still happened in the eighteenth century.’ As it turns out, it did! 
> 
> Between 1600 and 1814, it was not uncommon for the River Thames to freeze over for up to two months at time. There were two main reasons for this; the first was that Britain (and the entire of the Northern Hemisphere) was locked in what is now known as the ‘Little Ice Age’. The other catalyst was the medieval London Bridge and its piers, and specifically how closely spaced together they were. During winter, pieces of ice would get lodged between the piers and effectively dam up the river, meaning it was easier for it to freeze.
> 
> When the river froze, Londoners would flock to the ice and build makeshift pubs, shops and skating rinks, have carriage races and even on one occasion walked an elephant across the ice to prove that it would hold. There were seven major fairs documented between 1607 and 1814, and unfortunately none of them fall within or near the Harlots canon, but there were many smaller fairs that weren't recorded so I've used artistic licence to say that this is one of them.
> 
> Set roughly 10 years pre-canon. 
> 
> For SelkieWife, who made me a beautiful frost fair moodboard when I told her about this burgeoning plot bunny and badgered me to turn it into a living, breathing fic. And who keeps us all writing and creating with fandom challenges.

**Lucy**

“It’s frozen!” Lucy leans over the railing to stare in wonder at the river below. “Look, Charlotte!”

Charlotte, twelve years old now and apparently far too grand to care about frozen rivers, barely spares it a glance as she catches Lucy’s gloved hand in her own and tugs her away.

“It freezes every year,” she tells her sister in a bored tone. “It’ll be water again by the end of the week.”

But Charlotte is wrong. A blanket of snow settles on the frozen river, compacts and is covered again, and then the first tents appear. It’s frost fair time.

**Mags**

For Margaret Wells, the fair is an opportunity to turn a profit. Charlotte’s rise is just a taste of things to come. And all of London will be down on the river.

She has her girls dress in their finest silks and parade across the ice, permits herself a spark of pride as heads turn at their passing. But it is short-lived.

Soon her birds are eclipsed by a brighter flock. Quigley’s girls are decked out in furs and her shivering group eye them enviously. She will lose one before the night is out. That is the power of money.

**Charlotte**

The river is a blur of motion and colour, tents spread across the ice and stallholders bawling out the services they have to offer. Lucy has run off to watch a man wave puppets about, but Charlotte stays in the line of girls, fidgeting with her new shawl and practicing her equally new coquettish smile on the passing gentlemen.

Many smile back, and one is so entranced by her that he fails to spot a particularly slippery patch of ice and goes sprawling.

This is her entertainment now. Puppet shows are for children. And she is no longer a child.

**Nancy**

Nancy Birch moves like a shadow through the throng of merrymakers. She has no real interest in the fair, but the two girls she has recently rented out her spare room to are here and full of enough gin to drown what little sense they have. She must either stave off trouble here or wait for it to arrive at her door.

Apparently though, the main trouble coming for her today is an eight year-old girl on a mission to find “someone who don’t hate fun.” Which means that, as always, her path is leading her back to Margaret Wells.

**Will**

The trouble with your livelihood revolving around entertaining others is that you can forget your own need for entertainment. Will, watching the culls for the first sign of bad behaviour, also watches his family.

Margaret is on the verge of starting a new feud with Lydia Quigley over fur stoles. Charlotte is throwing off the last vestiges of her childhood at her mother’s bidding. And Lucy is threatening to find a new family who won’t prioritise work over puppet shows.

Privately, he agrees with Lucy. They may need the money, but they could all benefit from a little more fun.

**All**

It turns out that what they need to get into the spirit of the fair are the dual vices of drink and gambling.

Will makes enough from a well-timed carriage race bet to put an end to Margaret’s sour glances towards Quigley for one evening at least, and a cup of purl warms their bodies and enlivens their spirits.

When a band strikes up a tune, Will whirls Mags around the ice while Nancy chuckles and taps her foot in time. And Lucy drags Charlotte to the puppet show, where she finds that even childish things can still bring joy.


End file.
